The Gould Stradivarius of 1693 is a violin made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644-1737). This violin is a product of Stradivari's long-pattern and has been modified into a baroque violin configuration by luthier Frederick J. Lindeman located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. [1] It is in a collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in America, New York City. [2]
The Gould violin's ownership traces back to 1820 by an owner listed as "Marquis de Villers". Around 1850, a French violinist and celebrated teacher Charles Dancla bought the instrument and in 1880, the violin was then owned by person identified as M. Labitte (Reims, France), possibly having been Louis Labitte, a collector of musical manuscripts. The violin was purchased again in 1897 by a man with the name Rev. Albert Willan until about 1900 when the violin was sold to the Polish violinist and composer Emil Młynarskyi. [1]
In 1918, the violin was bought by the Allgemeine Musikgesellschaft (Basel, Switzerland) and was used until 1928, when the violin was sold by the Albert Caressa firm to George Gould. The instrument stayed with George Gould until 1955, when George Gould bequeathed the violin to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where it now currently lies. [1]
The Gould is named after one of its owners and eventual donor, George Gould, who had given the instrument to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1955. [1] In 1974, a careful decision was made to put the instrument back into a "baroque" form so that artists that specialize in historical performances could use the instrument. [1] It is considered the only violin by Stradivari that has been returned to a baroque setup and "is regularly used for performance of period repertoire." [2]
Antonio Stradivari was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, Stradivarius, as well as the colloquial Strad are terms often used to refer to his instruments. It is estimated that Stradivari produced 1,116 instruments, of which 960 were violins. Around 650 instruments survive, including 450 to 512 violins.
A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari, during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or equal it, though this belief is disputed. The fame of Stradivarius instruments is widespread, appearing in numerous works of fiction.
The Lipinski Stradivarius is an antique violin constructed in 1715 by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, during Stradivari's "golden period" between 1700 and 1725. There are fewer than 650 extant Stradivarius violins in the world today, and the Lipinski is considered to be a particularly fine example. In 2012, it was appraised at US$5 million.
The Viotti; ex-Bruce Stradivarius of 1709 is an antique violin constructed by luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). It is one of only 700 known extant Stradivari instruments.
The Messiah - Salabue Stradivarius of 1716 is a violin made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is considered to be the only Stradivarius in existence in as new state. It is in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England.
The Otto Booth; Cho-Ming Sin Stradivarius of 1716 is an antique violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) of Cremona. The original label of the instrument was "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis faciebat Anno 1716". The Booth Stradivarius has a two-piece back and has a body length of 35.4 cm.
The Ames Stradivarius of 1734 is an antique violin, made by the Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. It is one of only 450–700 known extant Stradivarius instruments in the world. The Ames is named for violinist George Ames who owned it and performed with it in the late nineteenth century.
The Stradivari Society is a philanthropic organization based in Chicago, Illinois, best known for its arranging deals between owners of antique string instruments such as those made by luthiers Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri, for use by talented musicians and performers. The Stradivari Society does not hold title to the instruments.
The Dolphin Stradivarius or Delfino Stradivarius of 1714 is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona. This violin was once owned and played by the virtuoso Jascha Heifetz (1901–1987). The owner in the late 19th century, George Hart, who was an instrument dealer in London, named the violin Dolphin as its striking appearance and colouring of its back reminded him of a dolphin.
The Alard–Baron Knoop Stradivarius of 1715 is an antique violin made by luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644-1737). It was made during Stradivari's golden period and is regarded as the "finest of the fine," and nec plus ultra by the W.E. Hill & Sons. The Alard has the original neck with the initials "PS" found in the mortise of the head believed to be those of son, Paolo Stradivari. The Hill brothers conclude this violin is one of the instruments that came into Paolo's possession upon the death of his brother Francesco in 1742.
The Solomon, Ex-Lambert Stradivarius of 1729 is a violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). The instrument derives its name from previous owners Seymour Solomon, co-founder of Vanguard Records, and British violinist, Dorothy Mary Murray Lambert
The Lauterbach Stradivarius of 1719 is an antique violin fabricated by Italian luthier, Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). The instrument derives its name from previous owner, German virtuoso, Johann Christoph Lauterbach.
The Hellier Stradivarius of circa 1679 is a violin made by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, Italy. It derives its name from the Hellier family, who might well have bought it directly from the luthier himself.
The Kiesewetter Stradivarius of circa 1723 is an antique violin fabricated by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). The instrument derives its name from its previous owner, German composer and violinist Christophe Gottfried Kiesewetter (1777–1827).
The Tom Taylor Stradivarius is an antique violin made by renowned luthier Antonio Stradivari in Cremona, Italy, circa 1732. Its namesake is British art critic Tom Taylor. Taylor was married to its onetime owner, violinist and composer Laura Wilson Taylor née Barker (1819–1905), who had been presented with the instrument by General Thomas Perronet Thompson during her youth.
The Molitor Stradivarius is an antique violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona in 1697, the very beginning of the maker's celebrated "Golden" period. It bears the label "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis / Faciebat Anno 1697" and is branded to the lower rib, "Curtis Phila."
The Lady Blunt is a Stradivarius violin made in 1721 by the renowned Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari. It is named after one of its first known owners, Lady Anne Blunt, the British co-founder of the Crabbet Arabian Stud.
The Le Brun Sradivarius of 1712 is a violin made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). It is the only violin from Stradivari’s golden period known to have been owned and played by the violinist Niccolò Paganini. When sold at a Sotheby's auction in London in November 2001 it achieved one of the highest prices ever paid for a violin at auction, and became the most expensive instrument in Europe.
The Rawlins Stradivarius is an antique guitar crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1700. It is one of only four surviving guitars made by the Italian luthier. The Rawlins was purchased by the National Music Museum in South Dakota from violinist Louis Krasner in 1985. Krasner had purchased it in 1934 through a dealer in London.